Conveyor-driven dual-nozzle fabric dyeing machine

ABSTRACT

A conveyor-driven dual-nozzle fabric dyeing machine includes a machine body in which a conveyor device for conveying fabric and a fabric guide roller are arranged; first and second dyeing tubes through which the fabric selectively passes for being dyed; a first nozzle located below the fabric guide roller and connected to the first dyeing tube; and a second nozzle set horizontally or in an inclined condition and connected to the second dyeing tube. To operate, the fabric is guided around the fabric guide roller and selectively fed through the first nozzle into the first dyeing tube for being dyed or alternatively fed through the second nozzle into the second dyeing tube and also a rear portion of the first dyeing tube to be dyed therein. Fabrics of different kinds can be fed through different nozzles and dyeing tubes to achieve a better effect of dyeing.

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a conveyor-driven dual-nozzle fabric dyeing machine, and in particular to a dyeing machine that is equipped with a conveyor device and includes two dyeing tubes each of which is connected to a respective nozzle, such that to dye fabric, the fabric could be conducted to move through suitable one of the nozzles and the dyeing tube associated therewith according to the property of the fabric to be dyed in order to acquire an optimum effect of dyeing.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART

To have fabrics of different kinds, such as knitting, plain weaving, and fibrous fabrics, better dyed, dyeing machines are generally designed so that a nozzle is located below or behind a fabric guide roller and is arranged horizontally or inclined with a dyeing tube. As such, relative positions between the nozzle and the fabric guide roller are different, leading to contact surface between fabric and the fabric guide roller having different arcs during the circulation of the fabric. Different contact surfaces and different angles of the nozzle would cause different effects on the fabric, such as slippery rate, tension, and folding marks. To suit different needs of different fabrics, different designs of dyeing machine are available.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a useful conveyor-driven dyeing machine, which suits for dyeing fabrics of different kinds in order to the simplified models of dyeing machines.

The features of the present invention is such that the dyeing machine comprises a machine body having an interior space in which a conveyor device for conveying fabric and a fabric guide roller are arranged; a first dyeing tube and a second dyeing tube through which the fabric selectively passes for being dyed; a first nozzle that is located below the fabric guide roller and is connected to the first dyeing tube; and a second nozzle that is set horizontally or in an inclined condition and is connected to the second dyeing tube. To dye fabric, according to the kind of fabric to be dyed, the fabric, after guided around the fabric guide roller, is selectively fed through the first nozzle into the first dyeing tube for being dyed or is alternatively fed through the second nozzle into the second dyeing tube and also a rear portion of the first dyeing tube to be dyed therein. The fabric, after passing through the first dyeing tube, falls down onto the conveyor device so that the conveyor device conveys the fabric forward to pass around the fabric guide roller and move through the first dyeing tube or the second dyeing tube again for circulation to proceed with the dyeing operation, whereby the circulation speed of the fabric is made fast, the uniformity of dyeing is made better, the tension of the fabric is reduced, folding marking on the fabric is avoided, and thus an optimum effect of dyeing can be achieved.

One technical solution of the present invention comprises a machine body, in which a conveyor device, a fabric guide roller, a first dyeing tube, and a second dyeing tube are arranged. The first dyeing tube has a front end connected to a first nozzle that is located below the fabric guide roller. The second dyeing tube has a front end that is connected to a second nozzle that is set in a horizontal position, and the second dyeing tube has a rear end connected to the first dyeing tube at a location between the front and rear ends thereof.

Another technical solution of the present invention is that the second dyeing tube is set inclined at an angle relative to the first dyeing tube so that the front end of the second dyeing tube is higher than the first nozzle.

The foregoing objectives and summary provide only a brief introduction to the present invention. To fully appreciate these and other objects of the present invention as well as the invention itself, all of which will become apparent to those skilled in the art, the following detailed description of the invention and the claims should be read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Throughout the specification and drawings identical reference numerals refer to identical or similar parts.

Many other advantages and features of the present invention will become manifest to those versed in the art upon making reference to the detailed description and the accompanying sheets of drawings in which a preferred structural embodiment incorporating the principles of the present invention is shown by way of illustrative example.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a structure of a dyeing machine according to the present invention, illustrating fabric passing through a first nozzle for being dyed.

FIG. 2 is a schematic view illustrating fabric passing through a second nozzle for being dyed according to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The following descriptions are exemplary embodiments only, and are not intended to limit the scope, applicability or configuration of the invention in any way. Rather, the following description provides a convenient illustration for implementing exemplary embodiments of the invention. Various changes to the described embodiments may be made in the function and arrangement of the elements described without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

As shown in FIG. 1, a dyeing machine according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises a machine body 1 that is provided on an upper part thereof with a first dyeing tube 15 that is arranged in a horizontal or slightly inclined condition to receive fabric 3 to pass therethrough. The first dyeing tube 15 has a front end that is connected to a nozzle 5A that is set at a location below a fabric guide roller 4, while the fabric guide roller 4 is arranged at a location that is even higher. The machine body 1 has an interior space in which a conveyor device 2 is arranged. The machine body 1 is provided, at a location behind the fabric guide roller 4, with a second dyeing tube 16 that is inclined with respect to the first dyeing tube 15 at a predetermined angle. The second dyeing tube 16 has a front end that is provided with a second nozzle 5B, such that the second nozzle 5B can be set horizontally or in the same direction of the second dyeing tube 16. The second dyeing tube 16 has an opposite rear end that is connected to and in communication with a portion of the first dyeing tube 15 between the front end and a rear end thereof. At a location between the rear end of the second dyeing tube 16 and a rear end of the first dyeing tube 15, a fabric leading edge detector 10 arranged in the first dyeing tube 15.

At a rear end of the machine body 1, which may be inclined downward, a liquid storage tank 6 is arranged. Preferably, the liquid storage tank 6 is provided therein with a filter 61. The liquid storage tank 6 has a bottom that is connected through piping to the first nozzle 5A and the second nozzle 5B, wherein the piping is provided with a pump 7 and a heat exchanger 8 mounted thereto. The pump 7 is also connected through piping to a chemicals barrel 11. A first control valve 13 is mounted between the heat exchanger 8 and the first nozzle 5A and a second control valve 14 is mounted between the heat exchanger 8 and the second nozzle 5B.

To carry out a dyeing operation, the fabric 3 is positioned in the machine body 1 for cyclic circulation in order to be dyed, wherein, based on the kind of fabric to be dyed, the fabric 3 is guided around the fabric guide roller 4 to pass through the first nozzle 5A that is located below the fabric guide roller 4 and the first dyeing tube 15 (as shown in FIG. 1) so as to have the fabric 3 dyed. The fabric 3 so dyed is moved through the rear end of the first dyeing tube 15 to fall down to the conveyor device 2 to be cyclically conveyed to the front end, where the fabric passes the fabric guide roller 4 once again to repeat the above-described process for dyeing.

Alternatively, based on the kind of fabric to be dyed, the fabric 3 may be guided around the fabric guide roller 4 to pass through the second nozzle 5B, which is at a higher location and may be set in a horizontal or slightly inclined condition, and the second dyeing tube 16 (as shown in FIG. 2), so as to have the fabric 3 dyed. The fabric 3 so dyed moves to pass through the rear end of the second dyeing tube 16 and enter the first dyeing tube 15 for further dyeing. After passing through the rear end of the first dyeing tube 15, the fabric 3 will similarly fall down to the conveyor device 2 to be cyclically conveyed to the front end, where the fabric passes the fabric guide roller 4 once again to repeat the above-described process for dyeing.

The pump 7 drives dye liquid L accumulated in the liquid storage tank 6 to move through the heat exchanger 8 to subsequently jet from the first nozzle 5A or the second nozzle 5B to assist moving the fabric 3 for circulation and dyeing. The dye liquid L interacts with the fabric 3 for dyeing in the first nozzle 5A and the first dyeing tube 15 or in the second nozzle 5B and the second dyeing tube 16. The dye liquid L that moves to the rear end of the first dyeing tube 15 and falls down therefrom to a bottom of the machine body 1, where all or most of the dye liquid L will fall into and return to the liquid storage tank 6 to be further pumped by the pump 7 to pass through the heat exchanger 8 and then jetted through the first nozzle 5A or the second nozzle 5B to further move through the first dyeing tube 15 again and returns back to the machine body 1 to complete a cycle of circulation.

Chips or minute pieces of cotton or fiber detached from the fabric 3 during conveyance and dyeing would be filtered off by the filter 61 when the dye liquid L is pumped out of the liquid storage tank 6.

Operation speeds of the fabric guide roller 4 and the conveyor device 2 and opening/closing of the first control valve 13 and the second control valve 14 are controlled by a control box 9 to be in synchronization with a circulation speed of the fabric 3. These speeds can be adjusted, or they can be set at constant values or fixed values after being properly managed, meaning the circulation speed of the fabric 3 can be made constant and thus, the circulation time of each cycle of circulation is constant. The dyeing treatment process (which may be abbreviated as “dyeing process”) could be controlled by using “time” as a control unit in a way that is similar to the prior art dyeing machine, or could be alternatively controlled by using the number of cycles of circulation of the fabric through the dyeing machine as detected by the fabric detector 10. The control is carried out with a computer or a programmable logic control (PLC) of the control box 9 or other electro-mechanical device based controllers to proceed with the dyeing process.

In brief, the present invention provides a dyeing machine that is provided with a conveyor device 2 and further includes a first dyeing tube 15 and a second dyeing tube 16 mounted thereto such that the first and second dyeing tubes 15, 16 are respectively connected to a first nozzle 5A and a second nozzle 5B, wherein to dye fabric, based on the property of the fabric to be dyed, the fabric may be selectively moved through the first nozzle 5A and the first dyeing tube 15 or the fabric may be selectively and alternatively moved through the second nozzle 5B and the second dyeing tube 16 to acquire an optimum effect of dyeing.

It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or two or more together may also find a useful application in other types of methods differing from the type described above.

While certain novel features of this invention have been shown and described and are pointed out in the annexed claim, it is not intended to be limited to the details above, since it will be understood that various omissions, modifications, substitutions and changes in the forms and details of the device illustrated and in its operation can be made by those skilled in the art without departing in any way from the claims of the present invention. 

I claim:
 1. A conveyor-driven dual-nozzle fabric dyeing machine, comprising a machine body having an interior space in which a conveyor device is arranged, a first dyeing tube, and a second dyeing tube, the first dyeing tube having a front end connected to a first nozzle that is located below a fabric guide roller, the second dyeing tube having a front end connected to a second nozzle that is set horizontally or in a direction of the second dyeing tube, the second dyeing tube having a rear end connected to the first dyeing tube at a location between the front end and a rear end of the first dyeing tube.
 2. The conveyor-driven dual-nozzle fabric dyeing machine, wherein the second dyeing tube is set inclined with respect to the first dyeing tube at a predetermined angle. 